The establishment of a clinical school between St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne and ACU is the culmination of a long standing collaboration ensuring that learning opportunities for undergraduate nursing students are relevant and diverse.

The clinical school will improve clinical placements and career opportunities, giving students a greater understanding of care and a feeling of belonging to the St Vincent’s Hospital.

Rather than undertake clinical experience in many different health services, students participating in the clinical school will complete all placements at St Vincent’s for a truly immersive hospital experience.

In his address, Mr Fielding said this consistency will allow students to feel part of the nursing community at St Vincent’s and will enhance the familiarity of the organisation among future graduate nurses.

Professor Craven spoke about the shared values of ACU and St Vincent’s Hospital.

“This partnership is a tribute to providing higher education which allows the integration of study and experience,” he said. “The realisation of ACU’s Clinical Schools represents a significant milestone in the Faculty of Health Sciences strategic plan of establishing innovative and collaborative approaches to health education with our major Catholic health partners.”

Executive Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, Professor Michelle Campbell, said ACU’s connections with the hospital will continue to enhance stronger collaboration between academia and clinical practice in the areas of learning and teaching, practice and research.

“St Vincent’s Hospital is one of our best and strongest partners in Melbourne and provides quality clinical practice experience to our nursing students. It is our hope that this partnership and collaboration will strengthen and extend to providing placements for our cohorts of students in allied health, midwifery, paramedicine and psychology in the future.”

This launch marks the third clinical school opening partnering with ACU’s Faculty of Health Sciences and St Vincent’s Health Australia. Two other clinical schools were opened in 2013 – at the Mater Hospital, Brisbane and St John of God Hospital, Ballarat.